Dear Mothman: A Novel in Verse by Robin Gow
Did I initially get interested in Dear Mothman: A Novel in Verse by Robin Gow purely because it had "Mothman" in the title? Absolutely.
However, as I read the description I saw that this middle grade novel promised much more. Gow's novel was a series of letters and incidents mostly focused on a middle schooler who has secretly named himself Noah as he reaches out to Mothman as a way to deal with his best friend Lewis's death. Mothman had been Lewis's favorite cryptid and Noah hopes he can find a connection to Lewis--or even himself--but contacting (or even encountering) Mothman. What starts off a lonely journey soon develops into something more. Noah is able to make his science fair project about Mothman--despite initial hesitation from his teacher and derision by his peers. Eventually, Noah even finds three friends who are genuinely curious about Mothman, even if Mothman doesn't mean the same thing to them as he does to Noah. The culmination of Noah's journey happens as Noah seeks Mothman in the forest. How he will emerge from that journey--and who he'll emerge with--I'll leave for you to find out.
What could be a quite campy and unserious premise in less skilled hands, in anything but in Gow's. Gow has crafted a wonderous, dreamy, lovely, and yet grief-filled tale. Gow is able to approach a really raw topic such as sudden, tragic grief in a way that is delicate but still immensely impactful. Gow is able to interweave additional themes of friendship, earliest romance, identity, and what makes a being (or even a person) a monster.
I cannot recommend this book enough, and I will be eager to read more of Gow's work.
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